It has been generally recognized to be desirable to provide the panty portion of pantyhose with the feel and moisture absorbing characteristics of cotton by providing cotton characteristics in the panty portion of the pantyhose. It is believed that the provision of cotton characteristics in the panty portion will encourage the purchaser to wear only the pantyhose, without a conventional panty either over or under the pantyhose.
Safrit et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,213,312 discloses a pantyhose with a stretch-cotton panty portion which is knit throughout of a textured stretchable thermoplastic body yarn with a cotton yarn knit in plated relationship with the body yarn in every fourth course of the panty portion. The presence of the cotton yarn in spaced-apart courses of the panty portion is said to provide a sufficient quantity of the feel and moisture absorbing characteristics of cotton on the inside of the panty portion to prevent any wet or "clammy" feeling on the body of the wearer. However, the spacing of the cotton yarn in every fourth course of the panty portion may not provide a sufficient quantity of cotton uniformly distributed on the inner face of the panty portion to provide the desirable feel and moisture absorbing characteristics of cotton.
Moody U.S. Pat. No. 3,757,354 discloses a pantyhose in which the panty portion includes cotton yarn terry loops forming a thick cushion surface on the inner portion thereof. The thick cushion surface is formed by knitting a cotton yarn in plated relationship with a nylon ground or body yarn in each course of the panty portion. While this type of inner surface on the panty portion does provide softness and absorbency, the knitting of the cotton yarn in every course of the panty portion tends to restrict the stretchability of the pant portion, as well as its breathability.
Duckworth U.S. Pat. No. 3,760,611 discloses a pantyhose in which every fourth course is knit of cotton yarn only while the intervening three courses are knit of nylon. The courses of cotton yarn form stitch loops in spaced-apart wales with tucks therebetween to form free loops of the cotton yarn protruding inwardly of the panty portion. The inner face of the panty portion of the pantyhose of this patent does include some of the feel and moisture absorbing characteristics of cotton. However, the knitting of every fourth course solely of cotton may tend to restrict the stretchability of the panty portion and the inwardly protruding free loops of cotton yarn may be objectionable.